Through our practice we can directly experience our body as a field of energy in constantly changing forms. Sometimes what seems to be a wall is actually a doorway into the direct experience of our true nature.

Our greatest suffering is not realizing who we are. Identified with a sense of separate and deficient self, we forget the basic goodness of our heart and awareness. In this two part series we will explore the practices of presence that support us in awakening from the prison of trance, deepening our empathy and embodying the goodness that is our deepest nature.

Because we live in such a mental culture, we sometimes interpret meditation as getting rid of all thinking. But inquiry and investigation, often aided by language are crucial to Buddhist practice. We look at three practical methods of inquiry, using (1) mindfulness (2) deep listening, and (3) the lens of particular teachings.